How Is the Olympic Road Race Different From the TdF?

Almost two weeks after the Tour de France ended, the men’s race debuted today at the Olympics. Starting and finishing on the Pont d’Iéna in the City of Light, the route may seem reminiscent of a Tour route, but the rules governing this event differ vastly from the Tour. Read on to learn how and possibly why.

What time will the race start?

The Olympic road race will start at 10 am British Summer Time (BST) or 5 am Eastern Time (ET).

This starting time narrowly mirrors many Tour stages; however, the Tour does not usually start earlier. An earlier start would mean cooler weather, but doing so would also cut into the riders’ recovery time. Before each stage of the Tour, an extensive caravan of sponsors—think Macy’s parade with sample-sized packages thrown into the crowd—drives through the route before the riders.

How long is the road race course?

The men’s race is 273 km (169.6 miles) with 2,800 meters (9,186.3 feet) of climbing—the longest Olympic course in history—and is almost 100 km longer than the average Tour stage.

The longest 2024 Tour stage was stage 3, 230.8 km (143.4 miles).

How many riders will compete in the 2024 Olympic men’s road race?

Only 90 riders participated in this year’s race, though historically, the Olympic peloton included about 144 riders. These numbers are significantly less than the 2024 Tour, which included 176 riders.

Athletes are allowed to work together; however, since most riders participating are not on the same trade team, they must be attentive to where their Olympic teammates are within the peloton.

How many riders will each team have in the road race?

Each country is limited to a maximum of four athletes. Team USA has three riders (Matteo Jorgenson (Visma – Lease a Bike), Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers), and Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates). Some teams have four riders, while others, like Ireland, have only two riders: Ben Healy (EF Education–EasyPost) and Ryan Mullen (Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe).

Each country’s national committee determined how many riders would compete.

How are the riders supported during the road race?

Olympic riders, like Tour riders, have team cars. However, team communication is nonexistent during the Olympics. Riders don’t have team radios to communicate with team cars or between riders.

Is there a general classification for the Olympics?

No. Though the riders are on a team, the Olympics only award individual, not team, medals to the top three finishers.